This invention relates to insulating attic cavities, and more particularly to applying loosefil insulation material into attic cavities by blowing the insulation material into the attic cavities.
Residential, commercial and industrial buildings are commonly insulated with an insulation material to reduce the flow of heat out of the building in the winter and to reduce the flow of heat into the building in the summer. Various structural components of the building define insulation cavities in which the insulation material is placed. Such insulation cavities include attic cavities, wall cavities and underfloor cavities.
Typical insulation materials used in the insulation cavities of buildings include fibrous polymer insulation, fibrous mineral insulation, and cellulose insulation. Mineral fiber insulation materials are usually either made of glass fibers or other mineral fibers such as rock wool.
A significant portion of the insulation placed in the insulation cavities of buildings is in the form of insulation fibers that are bonded together with a binder material into a monolithic structure in the form of a batt or blanket, or in the form of an encapsulated collection of fibers. By way of contrast, in many insulation applications the fibers are collected together in the form of smaller insulation units, such as tufts, nodules, cubes or flakes, that are installed into wall or attic insulation cavities by pneumatically blowing the insulation into wall cavities or attic cavities. The blowing is accomplished using a hose and a forced air blower, and the blown insulation material is known as loosefil insulation. Optionally, the loosefil insulation material is either bindered or binderless. The insulation value of the loosefil insulation material is generally dependent on the thickness of the accumulated blown insulation material within the attic cavity or wall cavity. The insulation value is also dependent on the density of the loosefil insulation material.
A problem with existing loosefil installation methods is that where the building roof is sloped, the attic insulation cavity typically has a reduced height at the edges of the attic cavity. This results in a situation in which the thickness of the loosefil insulation material at the edges of the attic cavity is not as great as in the remaining portion of the attic cavity. The consequence is the undesirable situation in which the attic cavity has an insulation value (R-value) greater in the middle portion of the attic cavity than at the edge portions, thereby allowing excessive heat transfer to or from the building at the edges of the building. This excessive heat transfer requires higher heating and cooling costs for the building.
It would be advantageous if there could be developed a method for installing loosefil insulation into attic cavities that could overcome the propensity of attic cavities to have lower insulation values or R-values at the eaves or edges of the attic space.
The above objects as well as other objects not specifically enumerated are achieved by a method of insulating an attic cavity comprising assembling a plurality of trusses to define an attic cavity, the trusses having sloped top beams so that the attic cavity has a reduced height end portion at least one end of the trusses. A screen material is applied to the attic cavity at the reduced height end portion of the attic cavity. Loosefil insulation material is blown into the end portion of the attic cavity to insulate the end portion of the attic cavity. The remaining portion of the attic cavity is insulated.
According to this invention, there is also provided a method of insulating an attic cavity including assembling a plurality of trusses to define an attic cavity, the trusses having sloped top beams so that the attic cavity has a reduced height end portion at each end of the trusses. A flexible, porous screen material is applied to the attic cavity at the reduced height end portions of the attic cavity. Loosefil insulation material is blown into the end portions of the attic cavity to insulate the end portions of the attic cavity. The remaining portion of the attic cavity is insulated.
According to this invention there is also provided an attic cavity of a building insulated by assembling a plurality of trusses to define the attic cavity, the trusses having sloped top beams so that the attic cavity has a reduced height end portion at least one end of the trusses. A screen material is applied to the attic cavity at the reduced height end portion of the attic cavity, and loosefil insulation material is blown into the end portion of the attic cavity to insulate the end portion of the attic cavity. The remaining portion of the attic cavity is insulated.
Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.